Fact Sheet Autoimmune Disease in Women: NWHIC

AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE IN WOMEN

THE FACTS

AUTOIMMUNE DISEASEThe term
"autoimmune disease" refers to a varied group of more than 80
serious, chronic illnesses that involve almost every human organ
system. It includes diseases of the nervous, gastrointestinal, and
endocrine systems, as well as skin and other connective tissues,
eyes, blood, and blood vessels. In all of these diseases, the
underlying problem is similar--the body's immune system becomes
misdirected, attacking the very organs it was designed to
protect.

A WOMEN'S ISSUEFor reasons
we do not understand, about 75 percent of autoimmune diseases occur
in women, most frequently during the childbearing years. Table 1
lists the female­to­male ratios in autoimmune diseases.
Hormones are thought to play a role, because some autoimmune
illnesses occur more frequently after menopause, others suddenly
improve during pregnancy, with flare­ups occurring after
delivery, while still others will get worse during
pregnancy.

Autoimmune diseases also seem to have a genetic
component, but, mysteriously, they can cluster in families as
different illnesses. For example, a mother may have lupus
erythematosus; her daughter, diabetes; her grandmother, rheumatoid
arthritis. Research is shedding light on genetic, as well as
hormonal and environmental risk factors that contribute to the
causes of these diseases.

Individually, autoimmune diseases are not very
common, with the exception of thyroid disease, diabetes, and
systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, taken as a whole, they
represent the fourth largest cause of disability among women in the
United States.

A NEED FOR
KNOWLEDGEAutoimmune diseases remain among the most
poorly understood and poorly recognized of any category of
illnesses. Individual diseases range from the benign to the severe.
Symptoms vary widely, notably from one illness to another, but even
within the same disease. And because the diseases affect multiple
body systems, their symptoms are often misleading, which hinders
accurate diagnosis. To help women live longer, healthier lives, a
better understanding of these diseases is needed, as well as
providing early diagnosis and treatment.

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